In the first three quarters of this year, China imported 3.09 trillion yuan ($441 billion) worth of goods from the 63 foreign countries attending this year’s China International Import Expo, an increase of 8.8% from the same period last year, state-owned newspaper Economic Daily reported Wednesday.
Crude oil was the largest import category, followed by an increased demand in meat and cosmetics, according to data from Shanghai customs cited by the media outlet. Soybean imports, meanwhile, were down by 4.4%. Beijing, Guangdong, and Shanghai were the country’s top importers, according to the official figures, released during the ongoing event in Shanghai.
A total of 64 countries are participating in this year’s expo, which concludes Sunday. During the opening ceremony Monday, Chinese President Xi Jinping said the country will “continue to improve its business environment to become more market-oriented, law-based, and internationalized.” (Image: VCG)